I Believe in You (Beauty and the Beast AU)
by themyscira
Summary: Rapunzel is the only one who can bring Jack back from his iced prison, a place he chose to live after becoming the beast he feared. Despite her fears, Rapunzel goes to find him and hopes, above all else, that she can still save him.


**I'm trying to catch up on requests :) **

**This one was for a Beauty and the Beast AU, although it varies greatly from the original (for instance, I made Rapunzel a sorceress). I tried this as an ending to a larger story because I have a habit of writing more than I intend to so there's certainly much more that occurs prior to this ending I've written, if I didn't have another writing projects I would have written the entire thing! Maybe someday. **

**With that said, please don't ask me to continue this story or write the beginning, I know you mean well when you ask but it's not something I can do at this point in time.**

**Apologizing ahead of time for grammar/spelling mistakes!**

* * *

She stared into the mirror with a wistful expression. It was her portal to another world, a place of danger and secrets, of creatures beyond the mind's imagination, of nightmares and dreams. Most importantly, it was the place where she would find him.

"I don't understand why you won't let me come." Merida said with a grumble, she flipped an arrow from one hand to the other. Merida had a warrior spirit, Rapunzel loved that about her, but she knew she couldn't bring her best friend into this world, not if she wanted to keep her safe.

"You know what Gothel said, the more people who pass through the portal at once, the more likely it is the shadows will find those who enter, the fewer people, the better."

Merida didn't look convinced, even though Rapunzel was right.

She reached for Merida's arm and pulled her in to a tight hug, "I'll be careful, no worries!"

Rapunzel smiled, she tried to smile in a way that conveyed strength and kindness.

Merida shook her head and let out a quiet sigh, "He's not who he was Rapunzel, please," Merida paused, he had been her friend too, but unlike Rapunzel she would do what was necessary to survive, "Remember that and don't-"

"Hesitate, I understand." Rapunzel gave her one quick nod and held her hands out to the mirror. The suns on her palms glowed brightly and the glass melted into ripples from her touch. She held out her foot and took a deep breath, "I'll come back," She said, "And I'll bring him too, safe and sound."

Rapunzel jumped into the portal with her eyes shut and was startled by the soft landing. It was cold, it was snow.

All around her were iced trees and snowflakes falling from the sky. She wrapped her hair around her neck, dusted off her dark, purple dress and and flexed her fingers. She began to walk.

Rapunzel knew it wouldn't be long before she found him, they were linked, his heart tied with hers. The closer she was to him, the more her heart would pound, the more she'd feel his breath on hers, his lips against her skin. She tried to push the thoughts away, she knew if she let those thoughts dwell too long she'd be vulnerable.

"But he's the same," she whispered to herself, "He won't hurt me."

She had to believe this, or else she'd fall to her knees and cry in the snow, then she would never reach him.

"I have to be strong."

The farther she walked, the bluer her lips became. She stumbled forward and shivered, her heart felt like it wanted to escape her chest. She looked and saw wind pushing snow like rope across a frozen castle. She reached out her hand and shuttered. The wind moved so fast it hurt her fingers. It was like a guard all around his chosen prison.

"Be brave," Rapunzel said, "Be brave." She had to reserve her strength but if she didn't get through the guard of snow and wind, the force that kept her from him, created by him, then she'd never reach him.

She pressed her hands together, the light from her hands ran down her arms, her hair glowed and lifted her into the air gently. She hovered briefly before pushing her arms out and letting the light blow from her fingertips and into the snow and wind. Instantly, it melted and the force field that kept her from him was gone, if only for a moment. She landed softly and began to run up the stairs to the castle.

It wouldn't be long before he knew she'd come, the second he realized the snow had melted outside, he'd try to run too but not to her.

When she reached the doors she pulled the handle. They were frozen and she nearly fell down right then and there. To melt it would cost her more of her energy and in a place so cold it was a dangerous thing to do. Instead she pulled her hair away from her neck and pulled on it slowly to make it longer and longer. She tied the bottom of it and threw it up. It hooked around a gargoyle near a window on the third floor. It was open.

She pulled her hair longer and began to climb upwards. Thankfully, she'd made it long enough so that her own weight didn't tug on her scalp. Once she'd reached the top she pulled her hair back and jumped into the window.

As she ran her hair became shorter, and her breath became heavier. She was tired, she was weak but she would not stop until she found him. Her heart knew where to go even though her feet did not. She darted up the stairs and into another hallway. Everything was ice, everything was frosted. And then, she reached the doors on the top floor. Her heart was ready to burst.

She thought about calling out to him but she doubted he'd hear her, the doors were frozen solid.

"Oh Jack," She whispered. She pressed her hands again and steadied her breath. She prayed silently that she'd still have enough power left to bring him with her.

Water fell on her fingers as the ice melted and soon their was a flood forming where she stood. When the handles were free she tugged on them with all her might; the doors flew open.

It was dark inside and frighteningly cold.

"Jack." She said with a firm voice. She tried to push away her fear of him, and her wish that she'd brought Merida along. Merida would have her arrow ready to aim, Rapunzel touched her own hands and bit her lip. She was afraid.

"Jack." She said again. She felt something move behind her and her heart stopped. She turned quickly and saw him running down the hall, or what she believed was him. He was so fast.

She started after him, this time finding her voice, "Jack!"

She heard a window open and knew her time was running out. She sprinted across the corner.

"Jack please!" She saw something climb upwards and stumbled forward again. He was climbing to the roof.

She jumped onto the ledge of the window and poked her head outside. She was high above the ground and what waited for her at the bottom was nothing pleasant, thousands of icicles with terribly sharp edges.

She swallowed hard and looked up; there was ledge above her. She said another prayer and reached for it. She'd never had much upper body strength but the fear of losing him gave her strength she'd never known. She pulled her foot out and hoisted herself up.

Rapunzel stumbled over the ledge and onto the rooftop.

Without a second to waste, she stood and ran as fast as she could across it. She stopped when she saw him.

Here on the rooftop he had no where to hide and his form was for all to see. But there was no crowd to watch him, there was only Rapunzel, and that, to Jack, was a far worse fate.

"Please," He said in raspy voice, "Go."

He had his back turned away from her and for good reason. The boy she'd known was no longer a boy but a creature of this realm, a monster.

His arms were long and clawed, he stood on hind legs and he was three times his normal height, covered in protruding veins.

"No," Rapunzel said, out of breath, but confident, "I can't." She stepped closer to him and he flinched.

"Don't come closer," He pleaded and her heart broke.

"I'm here to bring you back Jack, I'm here to help-"

"NO!" He roared, and this time, he turned to face her. He didn't want to, he didn't want her to see his red eyes, like that of a demon, with her eyes so green like the stems of blooming flowers. But he'd hoped if she saw his face, saw that he was no longer her Jack, then she'd finally understand why he belonged here with the shadows and not with her, the woman he loved.

She didn't move.

"You see it now, don't you?" She'd never heard him like this, so hurt, so lost, "You're the beauty and I'm the beast." His voice cracked, "There's no future for you if you try to save me," She thought he'd chuckled, "We knew that all along, didn't we? A princess and a spirit." He began to walk away from her, "This is the way it has to be."

At that Rapunzel stomped her foot and ran forward, she ran so fast that Jack was startled by her touch. She'd wrapped her arms around him, as much as she could and he felt her tears on his back.

"You don't get to decide for me," She said loud and clear, "You think you're a beast?" She let him go and ran over to face him, "You're my Jack, you're full of mischief, you love to play pranks and games, you love to watch snowflakes fall onto rivers, you love to hear me sing!"

"Rapunzel,"

"And you never believed in yourself, you always thought you weren't enough for this world, for me," She finally fell to her knees, "But you are, you're more than enough and whatever form you take," She touched her heart, it was unbearable, "I will follow, I will find you."

In her agony, he forgot who he had become and followed his instinct; he knelt down beside her.

"Rapunzel, I am a monster, I am a beast, there's no telling when that side of me will take over my mind and," He looked away from her, "I can't control it, without warning I could-" He could barely get the words out, "kill you."

At that she put her hands on his face, the warmth unnerved the beast but made the boy inside smile.

"I believe in you, believe in me." She said, with all the conviction she could muster.

Jack shut his eyes, "Always."

Rapunzel moved one hand to his heart and his own claw-like hand to her own. The beast inside said to rip her heart out and run, but the boy she'd fallen in love with focused on her eyes.

Their hearts were hurting but their hearts were strong.

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine _

_Make the clock reverse _

_Bring back what once was mine _

_Heal what has been hurt _

_Change the Fates' design _

_Save what has been lost _

_Bring back what once was mine _

_What once was mine_

Their hearts glowed and Jack was frightened, but calm by the touch of her hands against his skin. He called out to her and she smiled, he was sure she'd mouthed out "I love you" and then he shut his eyes.

Jack's body was covered in light, it was bright and had anyone else been watching their eyes would burn but Rapunzel lived in the light, she was born by it. She watched as his form changed from the beast he saw of himself to the boy she knew and loved.

The spell she casted was an ancient one and a deadly one at that should the love between the person who'd casted it and the person they tried to heal was not one of pure love.

She put her life on the line, on the belief that their love would be strong enough, and even now, with her limbs on fire, she did not waver in that belief. He called out to her again as she fell.

She knew if the love was not pure her life would be traded for his but she still believed in the midst of the pain and when he took her hand with his own, human hand, and held her close, she was sure she was right because the feel of his hand in hers felt right, felt real.

She shut her eyes.

"Rapunzel," Jack said softly, "Princess,"

He pressed his ear to hear her heart, there was only silence.

"Come back to me," His forehead touched hers, just as she refused to believe he was a lost cause, he refused to believe she was really gone.

And then, he felt her warmth.

"Jack?"

"Hey Beautiful," He didn't even try to blink back the tears, "I missed you."

"I've missed you too." She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling safer than ever, "Let's go home."


End file.
